By Keith Knepp
InkFreeNews
NORTH WEBSTER AND SYRACUSE — Musicians participating in the annual “Taps Across the Water” performed the solemn tune across Webster Lake, Syracuse Lake and Lake Wawasee during the evening of Sunday, May 26, as part of Memorial Day weekend.
The event started on Webster Lake, where more than 40 trumpeters led by Dr. Matt Murdock were ferried from North Webster town park to various points round the water. The musicians included numerous band directors and high school students. At 6:30 p.m., the trumpeters simultaneously sounded Taps across the lake.
:My dad was a Korean War veteran,” said Murdock. “I grew up very involved in the American Legion. I began playing Taps when I was in the seventh grade and have been playing it continuously since then, which was about 45 years ago. I was inspired by Jari Villanueva, who is retired from the DC Air Force Band. He started a movement in 2000 to have live instrument trumpet players rather than the recorded bugle (to play Taps). When Jari started this in 2020, I kind of jumped on that bandwagon. This is my fourth year here. … To me, as an educator, music is more than just performing. I think we have an obligation, almost a public service, that we can provide music for ceremonies, for military parades, festivals and things like that. I think it’s important to instill that in our young students that it is something outside of school and hopefully they can continue that service after they’ve graduated.”
Before the musicians offered their performance, a few stuck around the park to entertain the audience with rousing versions of patriotic tunes. The color guard from North Webster American Legion Post 253 also was on hand to add solemnity to the ceremony.
Following the playing of Taps, everyone reconvened at the park to enjoy a picnic lunch, with some of the trumpeters joining in for a concert of familiar tunes.
Later in the evening, the same musicians gathered at Oakwood Resort on Saturday. Before leaving for their spots around both Syracuse Lake and Lake Wawasee, they performed a variety of inspiring patriotic music from beneath the gazebo in front of the resort.
“This is a big lake,” said Mark Knecht, president of Chautauqua-Wawasee, which helped to organize the event. “We’ve added more people on Syracuse Lake than we’ve ever done before. … This is meaningful to people. I have more people come up to me and say ‘thank you for doing this,’ because it touches people’s hearts. We do 20 different events a year. This is the one that people come up to me and say ‘thank you.’
At 9:09 p.m., the trumpeters one again performed Taps from their assigned spots around the two lakes. Performer Kasey Strange of Nashville, Tenn., had the honor of playing at Oakwood, where dozens of people gathered to witness the performance.
“I have been playing trumpet for many years, said Strange. “It’s just a great honor to play in remembrance of all of our fallen heroes who have given their freedom for our freedom.”
Strange said he met Murdock at Trevecca Nazarene University in Nashville and was invited to perform in the holiday ceremony. This was his first time performing at the event.
